My new favourite thing...the baby sling.

As many of you know, I run a business out of my house. It's called Babytones. I don't want to advertise here, so for those of you interested, google it. (I don't want anyone here to think I am product pushing) Anyhow, Martin started it before we met. It was a small, on the side business, that I took over pretty much a few months after we met. He had better things to do anyhow, but always loved to start new businesses. So Babytones went from being a small unorganized venture, to a full blown, home business that now has had over 650 clients. For someone like me, that has been forced to stay at home pretty much right after finishing Architecture school 6 years ago now, this was an opportunity to keep my own hours, take care of my health, and still do something productive like run a small business. It's been great.

Anyhow, yesterday I was picking up a unit that we loaned to a maternity center a few years ago, called Becoming Maternity and Parenting Centre (http://www.becomingmaternity.com/). Since they dealt with mostly newborns (or very advanced pregnancy), and not so much pre natal, they called us and told us that they no longer needed the Doppler. It was not really being used, and we probably wanted it back. So, I went to pick it up.

Since the owner found out that Martin and I were expecting, she left a free membership to the center at the front desk when I came to pick up my Babytones Doppler. Which I thought was really great of her. (smart business lady - we find that cross advertising is always a good thing) So of course I stayed for a few minutes and let the receptionist (who was a full blown Doula-like, 'I know everything about babies, pregnancy, birthing etc' kinda girl) walk me through the programs that they offered, the store that they had, and all the rest. I ended up staying for nearly an hour!! Learned SO much about babies in that hour of conversation I cannot tell you, and just had a really good time.

What I loved about the experience, were several things. First off, she did not care that I was not carrying my baby. I told her the story, and she said something like 'how great!' and that was that. We did not need to get into all the little gritty details (which EVERYONE asks me) or into the same old 'how could you' questions. She was just like....YOU'RE having a baby, we need to educate you. And she went off and educated. It was refreshing. She treated me like a normal mom, nothing different, nothing worth dwelling on. May be that's why I stayed so long. SOMEONE was actually treating me like a mom-to-be, not like a girl who has no idea what it will be like, especially since I am not carrying. I feel a lot of that, even if it's my imagination!!

Anyhow, this girl, with her big bright 'I am so excited for you' eyes was amazing. The second thing that I really liked about the experience, was that it was my first moment that I felt okay to buy something for me and the baby, and I did not feel silly about doing it. Martin and I have already purchased a crib, and a few other things, so it's not like we have not started the process. But yesterday in that shop, I felt like I had the right to do it. Plus I picked something out that is just for me and baby. Something that will join us together as close as we could be. As if he or she were in my belly for 9 months.

So....my new favourite thing, that I cannot get enough of, is my Peanut Shell baby sling. Below is a pic of me trying it on. I love it!! I don't really know why I love it. I have no baby to put in it yet, but I feel good about it. I feel happy about the idea of baby being so close to baby, cuddled up against me, so close. This is what I am going to keep the baby in at the hospital, and what I will bring baby home in. If I could walk from the hospital to our house (so that we would not need to separate in the car due to the car seat) I would. But we're just not that close.... Anyhow, I love love love it. Somehow, this sling brought me closer to baby yesterday. Something snapped inside me and made me ready for this baby to come. Funny how these things work.

The sweetest thing about the whole process was when the lady at the maternity centre fitted me for the sling. She found the right size, and draped it over me, and showed me how to place it. Then she picked up her 'baby bear' baby simulator (a stuffed bear, in a diaper and little socks) and showed me how to place it within the sling safely and for most comfort for me and baby. Of course, when we finally got bear in the perfect spot, and I felt his little body against my body, I started to tear up. I had to blink it away, so the nice woman would not thing I was a loon. But it made it so real for me. I didn't want the moment to end. I only then realized how much I want this baby back with me and Martin. ( Since the embryo was once a part of Martin and I, and now it is away, I feel it only natural to say that he or she is coming back to us...)

So that was my great day. It almost looks like a baby is in there huh?